The Heart that Suffers
by Long Island grace
Summary: Kaoru lives in a world where love and deception are one and the same. As a courtesan, she must seduce a rich entrepreneur in order to save her village. But Kaoru finds herself captivated by another man...one who knows how her heart can be mended. KK SM AM
1. Firefly Wish

**Disclaimer: The original idea for Rurouni Kenshin belongs to Watsuki Nobuhiro. Therefore, I give him all the credit (sorry Sony!) But I don't own it, anyway.**

**The title of this fanfic is from a quote by Deepak Chopra:****_"The less you open your heart to others, the more your heart suffers." _**I thought it was appropriate. 

**Hi guys! Trying my hand at my first multi-chapter fic. Pairings are traditional, just the way we like 'em. This fanfiction is derived from the _wonderful_ movie _Moulin Rogue_, starring Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor. Or, more precisely, _Spectacular Spectacular_ from Moulin Rogue. Though the plot and time-period and many other details are different, I still give credit to _Moulin Rogue_ for the idea. And don't worry, guys, after chapter one, Author's Notes are making minimal appearances. And there will be NONE in the text of the fic. So, enjoy!**

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Chapter One

It was dark in Shingetsu village. Even so, the town was alive with the drunken, worn-out nightlife that the village used to be so infamous for. Indeed, it was said that Japan's finest Oiran were bred in the streets of Shingetsu. The locals delighted when high-ranking Shogunate officials would stroll into their village and whisk some lucky girl up to a glamorous life of a geisha. Though Shingetsu Oiran were not known nation-wide, they still got their income from such happenings, and they were happy.

Kamiya Kaoru, however, was not. Ever since the Shogunate had fallen to the new Meiji government, things were not that easy. The Meiji believed in virtue and integrity…to put in more blunt words, they did not support the Orian in Shingetsu.

Oh sure, Kaoru knew that the Meiji was every bit as lusty, greedy and selfish as the Shogunate had been, only, they hid it where the Shogun had flaunted it.

One particular hiding place was the very village of Shingetsu. Kaoru mused that maybe that was the reason they had not come to her village's rescue. They would rather have their dirty secrets buried in the harsh, cold ground. The ground that held so many bodies already.

The tyrant over Shingetsu was a cruel one. He killed anyone who did anything out of order. Hung them up for the village to see. It was disgusting, and the new government had done nothing to stop him. The Meiji left Shingetsu village to the wolves.

Kaoru fiddled with her drink, stirring the foreign wine around and around. Her current suitor was a foreigner himself, and could barely even speak Japanese. Kaoru could scarcely tell the difference between when he wanted to screw and when he wanted to show her off to his native business associates. Therefore she found it taxingly difficult to dress accordingly.

That night, for instance, she was wearing a sultry green kimono, which dipped down to bare the tops of her breasts. The side was slit up higher than was normally…acceptable. Her lustrous, midnight-black hair was in an elegant up-do, cascading down from a twisted bun to her bare, milky shoulders, adorned with many beautiful ornaments.

Rough, drunken men all around her were turning their lust-filled eyes on her. It made her uneasy, so she carefully avoided their stares, raising her chin as if to show them she was too good for them.

And she was. Kamiya Kaoru was well-known around Shingetsu, not that that meant very much anymore. But even beyond the small village's borders, clients knew of her. She was one of the most sought-after Oiran concubines in the Chubu region of Japan.

"Eberly-san," Kaoru began sweetly, tired of waiting patiently while the untrustworthy German man tried to make his deal. She wanted her night's pay so she could go back to The House.

"Yes my sweet flower?" It seemed that Hagen Eberly had only memorized how to kiss-ass in Japanese. Kaoru supposed they did it differently where he had come from.

Kaoru, in response to Hagen's well thought out compliment, giggled and blushed, scooting her kimono up on her slim body. "It's getting late, Eberly-san," She said in a soft tone.

"I know, dear," He answered absently. "I just need to finish this up," He added in broken Japanese.

"Of course, Eberly-san."

He turned back to his business men, Kaoru's sour look going unnoticed.

An hour later the two of them were exiting that shady restaurant, Hagen's hand slowly making it's way to Kaoru's breast.

"I'm going back to Germany tomorrow," He said in a slurred voice. "To finalize the deal with my associates. I need an extra-special going away gift…"

Kaoru knew, of course, that that meant she was not getting her pay easily that night. She gave an inaudible sigh as Hagen led her off behind the restaurant, undressing her as he did so. He didn't even have the decency to take her back to his inn.

**--------**

"Kaoru-san, are you listening?" Yone barked at the slender girl before her.

Kaoru slowly averted her wistful sapphire eyes from the other orian to face Yone, or more precisely, Yone's puppet-master Enishi. "Hai." The corners of her eyes watched the other girls still, as they talked and laugh, complained about their current suitor. Kaoru would never be a part of that. She wasn't like them; she did not delude herself with friends. She had none.

Early off, Enishi, the keeper of The House, had sensed Kaoru's potential. Her easy grace, her effortless beauty. The spunk and roughness of her demeanor could be easily removed, Enishi saw. He had Kaoru ostracized from the rest of the new trainees, subtly but clearly made it known that Kaoru was the best of the best, no one would amount to her. Enishi was a shrewd man. He knew the mind of a woman, he knew what would happen.

Kaoru was lonely, it was true. But when she gazed off in that melancholy way, she looked beautiful. Her sadness was something to be played off of, Enishi knew.

"Kaoru," Enishi drawled, exhaling smoke into the young girl's face.

She didn't even flinch. She simply turned her pensive blue eyes onto him again.

"You understand the magnitude this new visitor, don't you Kaoru?" Enishi went on coolly. "He could very well be the difference between this town's devastation and our prosperity. And," He flicked a few stray ashes from the end of his cigarette. "It's on _your_ shoulders, shapely as they may be."

Kaoru hardly noticed his particular comment. She simply nodded.

"You will entertain him, do whatever he asks, and make him believe you love him. He is rich, Kaoru, very rich. He could sway the government in our favor. This will be the most important assignment that has come to you. You must do everything in your power to sway him." All of this was said in the very detached demeanor that was Enishi.

Kaoru nodded again. She could care less if her new suitor was the emperor of Japan. A suitor was a suitor—she _always_ had to do everything in her power to win them over.

**--------**

Fireflies buzzed outside of Kaoru's window. She sighed and wrapped her wool coat around her shoulders. Fireflies were so pretty. She wanted to be one of them.

But not because of their beauty. Kaoru knew enough about the dangers of being beautiful, and she had had quite enough of it. What she wanted was the freedom of the firefly. They came and went every summer, swirling their green light around until it eventually faded into the mist. She sighed.

Freedom was something Kaoru thought about all the time, but never dreamed of. She was too far-gone for freedom. She was afraid she had lost her ability to survive. Or worse, her will to live. But she would never know.

Making a decision, Kaoru placed an arm on the windowsill and launched herself over. She landed softly in the bushes below.

She blinked in the darkness, trying to adjust her eyes to the lack of light. Hesitantly, she treaded forward, into the haze of fireflies. As they swirled around her, she was tempted to laugh. She hadn't laughed since she was a child.

Suddenly, a soft sound filled her ears. It was music, Kaoru realized at once. But not the dreadful kind she danced to when entertaining her suitors. No, this was a simply melody, played directly from the heart.

Pushing all former fears and doubts aside, Kaoru stepped toward the pond, where the music was coming from. Across the waters was a magnolia tree, and underneath its leaves was a figure playing a flute.

It seemed the flute player had noticed her, for the notes were getting higher, teasing her as they treaded back and forth.

Kaoru felt a genuine smile tug at her mouth. After a while, the music ceased. There was moment of silence, in which neither Kaoru nor the flute-wielder said anything or moved. The comfortable silence was filled with the buzzing of fireflies.

"You play very well," Kaoru called out across the waters.

The figure didn't respond, but Kaoru sensed he was smiling.

"So do you," he returned at last.

Kaoru laughed this time. "I'm not playing anything," she giggled.

"Aren't you, though?" And with that the shadowy figure disappeared, seeming to melt into the darkness.

Kaoru gasped when a gust of wind blew her hair and garments. She clutched the clothing to herself, wondering if the flute-player had been nothing more than that. Just the wind.

**--------**

Kaoru readied herself for the afternoon where she would meet her newest and most important suitor. Absently, she fussed with the hair comb that had just been placed tastefully to the side of her elegant bun.

She couldn't believe it. She was nervous. There she was, looking like spun gold from head to tow, and she was actually anxious. In her deep-blue, shoulder bearing furisode, Kaoru was certainly a sight to behold. Her onyx locks tumbled down from a menagerie of ornaments. Her lips were painted wine red in a sultry way. But despite all this, Kaoru could not keep her hands from shaking.

"There, mistress," one of the dressing girls sighed. "You look splendid."

Kaoru didn't answer. Compliments like that only served to remind her of every painful moment she spent with men. Instead, Kaoru swept from the room and strode down the hallway to meet Takeda-san, the man who might have been the answer to all their problems. But he would definitely be the start of hers.


	2. Crossing Over

**Disclaimer: The original idea for Rurouni Kenshin belongs to Watsuki Nobuhiro. Therefore, I give him all the credit (sorry Sony!) But I don't own it, anyway.**

**I finally just got incredibly inspired for this chapter. The words literally just rolled out, and I'm very happy with the result. My editing is minimal because I am not very good at self-editing. So if you catch any mistakes, please tell me so I can fix them!**

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Chapter Two

"Mister, I don't think you should—"

Sano raised his head and simply stared at the young waitress. His vision swam and blurred from his intoxication. His cup of sake spilled across the table, but he didn't care. "Kaoru…" he mumbled and reached toward the young waitress.

"Oh!" she jumped back from his hand. "Tae-san!" she cried, fleeing from the table.

Sano slumped forward, eyes closed. "Enishi, you bastard…" he muttered. Enishi had promised Sano's sister Kaoru everything…and had given her the life of a courtesan. A life she didn't want. And Sano was sorry for every damn day of it. Every day after he had let her go.

He remembered what Enishi had said about the new client. That it could be Kaoru's chance to be free at last. He was rich and powerful, this client. And he could set Kaoru free.

But Enishi had lied before. Still, Sano wasn't so far gone that he no longer had hope. His faith was still there, just safely tucked away.

**--------**

Kaoru laughed daintily at Kanryuu's joke. It was tasteless, really, a horrible jibe at farmers. Kaoru's father had been a farmer.

"Kaoru, I have taken quite a liking to you," Kanryuu announced, stroking Kaoru's cheek. "Why don't you show me around this desolate little village?"

"I'd be happy to," Kaoru replied in a soft voice. She waited for Kanryuu to stand and then did so herself with the grace of a swan. She took Kanryuu to the marketplace, to the hotsprings and to the Shousei restaurant. Every minute she felt like she was letting Kanryuu slither into her life, making himself permanent. They arrived back at The House.

"I had a lovely day, my flower," Kanryuu said grandly. "I'll discuss the details with Enishi-san, but I know that we'll be seeing each other again _very _soon," he promised.

Kaoru nodded and watched him go without emotion. It was the same thing again, there was nothing different. He was just a client. She wilted and sighed, drawing herself away from the front door, deeper into the place she called home.

Minutes later she was in her room, changing out of her constricting kimono and putting on a floral green one instead. It was plain and modest and hadn't been worn in months.

"I knew that!" Kaoru could hear a voice from far off. It was female, high and lilting, but much too loud to belong in a teahouse.

Curious, Kaoru changed her course and walked toward it.

"This place is a total bore, anyway," the voice went on, sounding impatient. "When is Takeda going to be done, I wonder? I feel bad for whatever girl got stuck with him all day, I mean—"

"Misao," a lower, male voice chided.

Kaoru peered down the hallway to see two figures, one strikingly handsome and tall man and the other, a short and perky girl.

The girl sighed. "I know, I know. But it's not like he can do anything, away. He needs us around."

"One of us, anyway," the other muttered.

"What!" the girl was angry at once.

"Takeda-san only wanted one onmistu. He chose me for my skill and strength. The only reason _you're_ here is because I wanted to keep you close," the man explained patiently.

"Oh, so _you're _the one who got me into this, is that is Aoshi-sama?" the girl yelled, clearly outraged.

"Misao, you were starving on the streets."

She fumed.

"Uh, excuse me?" Kaoru called in a small voice.

The two strangers turned toward her. The girl jumped back in surprise. "Gahh!" she cried. "Aoshi-sama, she's _gorgeous!_"

Aoshi cast his companion an infuriatingly condescending look. His eyes switched back to Kaoru. "Can we help you?"

"Do you…work for Kanryuu-sama?" she asked quietly.

"Regretfully," Misao sighed dramatically.

"Well, do you—um…I mean, is it—" her eyes slid down the floor. "Nevermind…"

Misao and Aoshi exchanged looks of confusion at the soft-spoken girl.

"What are you doing here?" Kaoru asked at last, raising her eyes back to look at the two onmistu.

"Waiting for Takeda to finish his stupid _arrangement_ with Enishi. Know anyplace where we could grab a bite to eat?" Misao said casually.

Kaoru shook her head and was suddenly aware of Aoshi's shooting gaze. She looked away.

"Are you Kaoru?" Aoshi asked suddenly.

Kaoru nodded in confirmation.

Recognition seemed to dawn on both Misao and Aoshi. Misao walked right up to Kaoru and put an arm around her, drawing her closer to where Aoshi stood. "C'mon, let's go."

"Go?" Kaoru said, bewildered in all respects.

"Sure. You know. A restaurant or something. I _told_ you I was hungry. Now where's the closest place?" Misao began walking, dragging Kaoru with her. Aoshi trailed behind them, a slightly amused look on his face.

"B-but I'm not allowed to…"

"Eh, who cares?" Misao said breezily, steering Kaoru back down the hall to the main entrance. "We'll cover for you, tell everyone that we're Takeda's bodyguards and he asked us to take care of you or something. It doesn't really matter."

Kaoru's protests died soon after that.

Being with Misao and Aoshi was like being in a different world. They both seemed to care so much about her, despite the fact that they had only just met. Misao spoke to her so casually that Kaoru caught herself thinking that they had grown up together. Misao was so openly affectionate to both her and Aoshi; it scared Kaoru a little bit.

"Ooh, I _love _soba!" Misao delighted, digging in with nimble chopsticks. "It could warm me up on a snowy day!"

Kaoru eyed her, half way appreciative and half ridiculing the girl's careless demeanor.

"Here Aoshi-sama, try some!" Misao lifted a clump of noodles and shoved it at Aoshi. To Kaoru's surprise, the icy, stoic man opened his mouth and allowed Misao to shovel food into it.

Kaoru sat straight with her hands neatly folded in her lap. She felt somewhat out of place with these people, even though the conversation was flowing rapidly. They were just so…different.

"I've always been a big city girl," Misao revealed. "We used to live in an inn in Kyoto, and when we're in Tokyo I just feel so at home. It must be weird to live in such a tiny town, huh Kaoru-chan?"

Kaoru's eyes flickered over to her female companion. "What? Oh, yes." Her gaze had been caught by a glint of red. "Excuse me, won't you?"

Misao laughed. "You're so polite! Makes me feel like a barbarian…"

"Your not a barbarian, Misao," Aoshi replied with little emotion as Kaoru stood up and left them.

Unsure of exactly what she was doing, Kaoru drifted throughout the happy crowds in the restaurant, catching whiffs of different foods and notes of different songs. The gleeful chatter of the guests collaborated together and filled Kaoru's ears. She reached the backdoor of the restaurant and pulled it open.

She was surprised at how quiet it became outside with the door shut behind her. She neatly sat down on the steps, her gaze glued to her pink toes that peeked out from the hem of her kimono. She stayed like that for a while, her breaths slow and her mind at ease.

Suddenly she was aware of another presence. Her head snapped up and she looked around. There was a lone figure, leaning against the wall, is face covered in shadow. He held a wooden flute against his lips, but no sound came from the instrument.

Kaoru's eyes widened in shock. "You're that flute player!" she cried, jumping up and forgetting herself completely.

The flutist glanced over at her, holding his eyesight steady on her flushed face. Then, slowly, he dipped his head in a nod. So he had been real after all.

"And you are that girl," he replied. Kaoru couldn't help but love the sound of his voice as it caressed her ear. It sounded like water over pebbles.

_Girl, _he had called her. _That girl._ Could it be that he had no idea who she was? That she wasn't _that girl, _but instead a fallen woman?

Her eyesight fell to the flutist's hip, where another object lay, hidden in plain sight. This one was far more dangerous than the flute.

"My father owned a dojo," she found herself saying. "Before he was killed. We had to sell it, my brother and I."

There was silence after her confession. Like the man didn't even know that Kaoru was speaking to him.

"You haven't said one word about my appearance," Kaoru said, tilting her head. The words were just tumbling out. Maybe she was just trying to provoke him, she didn't know. But she couldn't help being very drawn to this red-haired man.

"Should I?" he replied. "You're very beautiful."

Kaoru wilted on the spot. She hadn't wanted him to say that. Maybe she was hoping he would tell her that there was nothing special about her appearance. She would have liked that, even knowing it wasn't true.

"But you know that," he went on. "To tell the truth, your beauty is not what I saw first."

"It…wasn't?" she was unsure of how to react to his bold words.

"No," he replied. "It was your soul, yearning to be free. Your heart, aching for love."

"I don't want love," she said stoutly. "I just want out of this place."

"Perhaps not love," he amended lightly. "But the ability to love and _be_ loved."

"I cannot love," she said, not caring what her words implied.

The man stepped forward, and his tone changed from conversational to passionate. "How can you live like that?" he asked, wide-eyed. "A life without love—that's no life at all!"

Kaoru jumped at how suddenly fervent her companion sounded.

He closed his eyes, calming down. "I loved, once. She was killed."

Kaoru didn't offer her apologies. She wasn't sure that he wanted them. "By who?" she asked, not caring if she sounded rude.

"Me," his eyes blinked open.

She nodded. "Well, good day mister—"

"Kenshin," he put in. "I'm Kenshin."

A whisper of a smile traced Kaoru's lips. "Good day Kenshin-san." She turned away, but he grabbed her wrist.

She did not protest or try to pull away. She gave into Kenshin as he tugged her back toward him. She was pressed against his chest, looking up through her bangs at his brilliant violet eyes. _You could love me, _they seemed to say.

Then, without a word, he released her. He raised his wooden flute to his lips again, and began playing a simple tune, one that pleased her ears and melted her heart. She didn't move, even though she was free to go.

In a world of deception and lies, where she was worth only what someone would pay for her, it suddenly felt wonderfully empowering to be around someone who defied all of that. Someone who defied her reality and defined a world that she could only dream of.

Kaoru stepped forward and pressed her lips against Kenshin's, bridging the gap between their worlds.

* * *

**I'm sorry if updates get to be slow. I'm not a trained writer and I don't necessarily cater to reviews (though I love them!) so I basically write when I am inspired and start new fics whenever I think of them. I have a short attention span so it's a big achievement to be writing a fic that is not a one-shot. I'll try really hard for you guys!**


	3. Second Impressions

**Disclaimer: The original idea for Rurouni Kenshin belongs to Watsuki Nobuhiro. Therefore, I give him all the credit (sorry Sony!) But I don't own it, anyway.**

_**Thank you to my reviewers! Sims are awsome, fox-san (there will be a little bit of Sano and Megumi in later chapters), Silent Tears of Agony (thank you for the encouragement, and I promise I will continue this until it is done) and hisui-chan02 (Oh, thank you! That's really sweet.)**_

**Sorry I took so long with this chapter...but I did own up to the fact that updates will not be very quick. I'm terribly sorry and I wish I could get these chapters to you quicker, but I can't. In any case, I hope you enjoy.**

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Chapter Three

_"His song," _she called it. It wasn't a song, really, just a melody and some words. But it was more beautiful than the greenest countryside, more necessary to her than a breath of fresh air. Only by singing it in her head, or humming it under her breath, did Kaoru manage to get through her days with Kanryuu without screaming.

That was another thing. Clients had never _really_ bothered her before. Of course they were irritating and sometimes just plain disgusting, but she could always put up with them. That was her job. But ever since that afternoon outside the restaurant, the afternoon when she had kissed—

No. It wasn't _really _a kiss, just the simple touching of two souls. But in that moment, Kaoru had glimpsed something more precious than all the money in the world. Someone out there _could_ love her; she didn't have to be a man's pet her whole life. She could…

It was too exquisitely wonderful to even think about. She couldn't, not being who she was. No amount of love and pretty words could ever change that, she reminded herself. _It's just an infatuation._

"Kaoru, my princess?"

Kaoru turned, lowering the lids of her eyes as she did so. The look she gave Kanryuu was one of a smoldering temptress. "Yes Kanryuu-sama?" she answered, her voice breathy and soft. They were lounging around on a crimson red sofa with the late-evening sunlight filtering in through the curtains.

"I must leave you for now, my sweet," he replied, his eyes utterly drawn to the fluttering golden fan in her hand. "There are, _ahem,_ things I must discuss with Enishi-san."

"Oh, I'm so sorry to see you go, dear Kanryuu," Kaoru said in the same tantalizing voice. She almost sounded serious.

Kanryuu smiled slowly. "I like that a lot better than _Kanryuu-sama_. It shows how fond you've grown of me…and I of you." He cupped her face with a hand. "Until next time, my dear Kaoru." He stood up from the sofa and nodded to Aoshi and Misao, who were stationed on either side of the door. "I trust you'll keep her safe."

A stout nod was his reply. Kanryuu grinned and pushed open the door, leaving their midst.

As soon as the door slammed shut again, Misao burst into chuckles. "How can you possibly _stand _him?" she laughed, swooping down to sit next to Kaoru on the sofa.

Kaoru rearranged herself in a more comfortable and less seductive position. She caught Aoshi's apologetic look from across the room.

"I mean, honestly, 'how_ fond_ you've grown of me_…Dearest _Kaoru.' I just don't see how you can possibly respond to that without laughing," Misao went on.

Kaoru's fan snapped shut. "Well, I do," she told Misao shortly.

It then dawned on Misao that Kaoru probably didn't want to talk about her job. She hastily changed the subject. "So, me and Aoshi have a day off tomorrow, and I thought it'd—"

"Aoshi and I," Aoshi automatically corrected his female friend.

Misao waved him off. "Right. We have the day off tomorrow and I was wondering where we should go in town…"

"The whorehouse," Kaoru replied, rolling her eyes.

Misao gaped.

"Definitely the hot springs," Kaoru said, seriously this time.

Misao grinned. "Excellent! Thank's Kaoru-chan, you're really the bomb, you know, if there's anything you need…"

**--------**

"I want a contract," Kanryuu said, holding his western-style bowler hat in his lap.

In front of him, Enishi sat in a chair with his legs propped up on his desk. He was slowly and precariously tipping backward as a puff of smoke emitted from his cigarette. "Contract?"

"Yes," Kanryuu replied stiffly.

Enishi watched Kanryuu's growing frustration with curious interest. He knew better than to deny Kanryuu, or play games. Still, it was almost comical the way Kanryuu gripped the hat tighter and tighter in his hands.

"I want a contract to _her,_" Kanryuu went on. "Kaoru will be mine alone. There will be no other—other _clients_ touching her."

"In return…?" Enishi asked, the words coming out excruciatingly slow.

Kanryuu's hands relaxed and a small grin appeared on his face. "We'll see…when the time comes."

He closed his eyes in satisfaction and Enishi rolled open a drawer of the desk and took out a pen.

From his jacket, Kanryuu extracted the already written contract and laid it on the desk in front of Enishi, smirking with utmost smugness.

The black pen in Enishi's hand seemed to gleam like the blade of a sword as it descended down on the contract, singing it with scrawled characters. Just his name, _Enishi Yukishiro,_ but it meant complete control to Kanryuu.

**--------**

Kaoru was immediately unnerved the next morning when Kanryuu came to see her.

"I thought we'd have a lovely picnic on the hillside," he said, smiling at her in that sort of hidden-lust way of his.

"That sounds marvelous," Kaoru purred, giving him the look he wanted. The look that said, 'I want to eat you up,' even though the thought of doing that was almost enough to make Kaoru gag. Ignoring her conflicting emotions, Kaoru cast a habitual glance through the crack in the door. What she saw made her almost do a double-take.

Aoshi and Misao were not there. They were not waiting patiently outside her room like they always were when Kanryuu came knocking (i.e. every day of the week ever.) They were nowhere to be seen.

She did not inquire about their absence, lest Kanryuu think she had any interest in something that wasn't, well, Kanryuu. However, it turned out she didn't have to ask after all, because the answer came to her more quickly than the concern.

_"We have the day off tomorrow and I was wondering where we should go in town…"_

They had the day off. Right.

It seemed horribly unfair that Kanryuu's most trusted bodyguards got to have a day off when Kaoru did not have that luxury. Then again, making Kanryuu believe that Kaoru loved him was much tougher and required much more devotion than simply protecting him.

"So, a picnic, dear?" Kanryuu's insipid voice broke through her thoughts.

Kaoru smiled out of ritual. "Of course, just let me get changed, dear Kanryuu." She flashed him a seductive smile before turning her back and leaving the room, only to appear again several minutes later, wearing a gold-spun kimono. The fabric was as soft as it was light, and the subtle color tones offset Kaoru's eyes beautifully, making the metaphor of drowning in someone's eyes very close to reality.

"Shall we go then?" Kaoru asked, fluttering her lashes.

Kanryuu smiled and took her hand, leading her out the door. As they exited, Kaoru felt another presence behind her, on her left.

"Are we leaving?" a bored, impatient voice reached Kaoru's ears.

Kaoru froze. She knew that voice.

Luckily for her, Kanryuu had stopped walking at that exact same moment and had turned around, so he could not see any evidence of Kaoru's shock.

"Oh, yes, of course," Kanryuu said. "So sorry to forget—Kaoru, this is Himura-san…another one of my bodyguards. He'll be taking over Shinomori and Makimachi-san's duties while they are away."

Exercising complete control over her body, Kaoru turned around, her eyes closed and a friendly smile in place. "How very nice to meet you Himura-san," she said softly.

She opened her eyes just in time to see the stunned look on his face and a white wooden flute clatter to the ground.

* * *

**I now understand theutter satisfaction ofleaving a cliff-hanger. I guess this is why writing multi-chapter fics is sofun! (I'm just kidding, everyone...) Please review, be it good or bad, criticism or praise. Thank you! **


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